Our Featured Gemstone Article
Starting The Hobby Of Gemstone Collecting
By Lee MacRae
Why collect loose gemstones you ask? Well for one thing they've been sought for their beauty for many centuries. And like their higher counterpart, natural diamonds they can appreciate in value over time. Many hobbyists love to collect and work with the nearly 150 types of gemstones found today. Follow along as we look at the hobby of collecting loose gemstones.
To begin with your first priority is to get some books from the library or bookstore. You want to learn as much as you possibly can about your new hobby. The more you understand about each kind of gemstone the less likely you are to make a mistake. You need to be as informed as possible.
To start with, an important aspect in gemstone evaluation is color. Without a doubt, gemstones are the most intensely colored natural material available on earth. Gems have become so synonomous with color, they have even lent their names to specific colors. You've no doubt heard about emerald green, ruby red, sapphire blue, jade green, turquoise or aquamarine. Gemstones become higher in value when they are equal in color to the spectral colors of violet, blue, green,, orange and red. They drop in value the farther they deviate from the pure natural color.
Gemstone cut is the second most important factor to consider before buying. The precision of cut will determine how much light the stone will reflect. The cut will determine the brilliance of the stone and its final value.
Our next consideration is the clarity of the gemstone. Clarity is the term that refers to the internal flaws ( known as inclusions) or the outside blemishes of the gemstone. Any large flaws are visible to the unaided eye with the others needing a 10X magnification.
Gemstones are often listed according to their size criteria because of being more uniform than carat weight. But two different gemstones may have the same size but different carat weights and consequently, different pricing structures. This is due to the difference of specific gravity or relative density and depends on the materials chemical composition and crystalline structure. Normally a one carat brilliant round diamond with standard proportions will be approximately 6.5 mm in diameter. A comparable a brilliant ruby of the same proportions in size will weigh in at 1.55 carats.
Collecting gemstones can be very rewarding hobby. And there is a wide range and variety in precious and semi precious stones that you can collect. You can start collecting gemstones like Obsidian, Opal (Girasol) or Clinohumite for example. The varieties are nearly endless. And if you like a hands on hobby you can find gemstones for yourself instead of buying. Just in the United States in Pennsylvania you can find Amethyst, Almandite Garnet and Pyrope Garnet, Beryl, Sunstone and Moonstone.
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Amethyst is February's birthstone. It is a dazzling violet gem stone. It is
fabulous in necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, and pendants. Often, Amethyst
is thought to be a symbol of security, sincerity, and peace of mind.
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The 45.52 carat steel blue Hope Diamond was found in India back in remote times
as a rough crystal weighing 112 carats. It first came to light when Jean
Baptiste Tavernier, the noted French traveler of the 17th century, was
approached in India by a slave who had a very secretive manner about him. It
turned out that he had in his possession an intriguing steel blue stone which at
first look seemed to be a large sapphire, but the well-experienced Tavernier
soon realized it was a diamond � the largest deep blue diamond in the world.
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E.W. Streeter, in his book Precious Stones and Gems (1892), describes a number
of fine sapphires. One of these was in the collection of the Mus�e au Jardin des
Plantes, in Paris, and weighed 133.06 carats. The same stone was also described
by Sourindro Mohun Tagore in his classic, Mani-M�l� (1879, 1881), referring to
it as the Wooden Spoon-Seller�s Sapphire, in reference to the poor man who is
said to have found it in Bengal, India. Streeter said it was without flaw. This
is undoubtedly the same stone that resides today in Paris's Museum of Natural
History, for it is of a distinctive lozenge shape and possesses only six facets,
appearing like a huge sapphire rhomb. It is indeed nearly "without flaw,"
containing only one small feather and crystal inclusion, and is possibly of
Burmese or Sri Lankan origin. According to the museum's H.J. Schubnel, the
sapphire actually weighs 135.80 carats. In the museum it is known as the Ruspoli
Sapphire. During the 17th century, a Roman prince named Ruspoli sold this
sapphire to a salesman, who in turn, sold it to King Louis XIV sometime before
1691. At that time it was the third most prominent gem in the French Crown
Jewels.
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Gemological Information Article
The Hobby Of Loose Gemstone Collecting
By Lee MacRae
Why collect loose gemstones you ask? For many people it's because they've been sought for their beauty for many centuries. And like their higher counterpart, natural diamonds their value increases over time. Many in this hobby love to find, collect and finish each and every one of the 150 varieties available. This article will discuss the hobby of loose gemstone collecting.
Right at the beginning, what you need is to get some books from the library or bookstore. You want to know everything there is to know about precious and semiprecious gemstones. The more you know about gemstones the better off you'll be. You will know exactly what you are looking at.
To start with, an important aspect in gemstone evaluation is color. Without a doubt, gemstones are the most intensely colored natural material available on earth. Gemstones are so related to color that they've even become associated with particular ones. You've no doubt heard about emerald green, ruby red, sapphire blue, jade green, turquoise or aquamarine. Gemstones will have a higher value when they equal the colors in the spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. They drop in value the farther they are from the natural color.
The cut of the stone is extremely important and factors into appraisal of diamonds along with gemstones. A precision cut gemstone highlights the gemstone's color, lessen any inclusions and exhibits good overall symmetry and proportion. One way to determine the precision of the cut is to consider how well it reflects light on a consistent basis over the stones complete surface. If the gemstone is cut to shallow most of this light were refracted away rather than reflecting internally. The gem appears washed out.
Another factor to consider is the clarity. This means the gemstones purity with no internal conclusions, spots, or particles inside the crystal. Without a doubt, zero flaws would make the gemstone highly valuable.
The next factors to consider our size and weight. Save for pearls and corals, all gemstones are priced by the unit, carat. A carat is equal to 0.2 grams. However you should know weight and size are not always equal and gemstones. The density and specific gravity can differ in stones. Take a diamond that is 1.00 carats in weight and you will find that a similar sized sapphire or ruby would weigh 1.20 carats.
Collecting gemstones can create an enjoyable hobby and pastime. And there is such a variety when it comes to gemstones. You can collect gemstones like Aquamarine and other varieties of beryl, Sapphire or Zircon for example. The choice and beauty and variety is almost endless. And if money is tight you can go gemstone hunting and find the raw materials instead of buying them. Take the example of the US. In Georgia you can find Ruby, Beryl, Amethyst, Citrine, Garnet and Quartz.
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More Information On natural blue diamond
Tanzanite jewelry can easily be scratched or chipped. Clean your Tanzanite with
warm, soapy water and a soft bristle brush. Avoid using ultrasonic cleaning.
Tanzanite was found in Tanzania in 1967. Tanzanite is the anniversary gemstone
for the 24th year of marriage. It is said that Tanzanite helps with change. It
uplifts and opens the heart.
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In the 1950's the Gemological Institute of America established a system for
grading diamonds based on the four C's. This was a great asset to the diamond
community and it became the standard for grading world wide. While the system
for grading color and clarity removed most redundancies, the standards for
grading the cut left something to be desired. That is not necessarily a
criticism of the GIA; no one has been able to establish a simple a usable system
that would cover all the variables involved.
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Store each piece of gemstone jewelry separately so that harder stones don't
scratch softer ones. Almost every gemstone is much harder than the metal it is
set in. Gems can scratch the finish on your gold, silver or platinum if you
throw your jewelry in a heap in a drawer or jewelry box.
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Gemstone Article Of The Month
So You Want To Collect Loose Gemstones
By Lee MacRae
Why would anyone collect items like loose gemstones, you ask? For many people it's because gemstones are extremely beautiful. And just like natural diamonds they can appreciate in value over time. Many hobbyists love to find, collect and finish the wide variety of gemstones available today. Read long as we discuss the hobby of loose gemstone collecting.
At the very beginning you need to read up on the various gemstones available. This knowledge will help you to know the properties of each stone and prevent you from making mistakes. A knowledgeable buyer is a wise one.
First on your list to look at will be gemstone color. You'll want the gemstone that is as close as possible to the pure spectral colors. We are talking about orange, red, violet, green, yellow, and blue. In general terms, the prices of very dark are very pale precious and semi precious gemstones are lower than the vibrant colors.
The cut of the stone is extremely important and is used not only to appraise diamonds along with gemstones. An excellent cut will showcase the gemstone's color, diminishes its inclusions, and highlight the proportions and symmetry of the stone. One way to determine the precision regarding the cut of the gemstone is how consistent and well, it reflects the light throughout its surface. But if a gem is cut too shallow, much of the light will refract out of the gem instead of reflecting inside the gemstone. That will make the gem seem washed out and windowed.
The clarity in a stone is an important consideration. When we talk of clarity it relates to the amount of inclusions (trace elements or large particles of other elements or minerals) that a gem has. Generally speaking, a clearer stone is obviously valued highly. To see flaws beyond with the eye can see you need a 10X gemstone loupe (gemstone clarity magnifier) or gem microscope. Many hobbyists will employ a 10X jewelers were gemstone loup for viewing stamps, coins, beads as well as gems.
Next up are weight and size. Other than the corals and pearls gemstones are priced by the carat. One carat equals a 0.2 grams. You should know however that weight and size are not always equal and gemstones. Density or specific gravity can very. If you have a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats, you will find a similar sized sapphire or ruby weighs out at 1.20 carats.
Collecting various gemstones can create an enjoyable hobby and pastime. And there is a wide range and variety in precious and semi precious stones that you can collect. You can collect gemstones like Obsidian, Quartz and its varieties or Zeolite (Thomsonite) and then try others. The opportunities are seemingly endless. And if money is tight you can go gemstone hunting and find the raw materials instead of buying them. For example in Arkansas you can find Clear & Smoky Quartz, Diamond and Agate.
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Opal is October's birthstone and is an elegant sparkling gemstone. Opal is a
soft gemstone so wearing it in pendants, necklaces and earrings is ideal. The
fabulous fire of an opal has made this stone a favorite of many.
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A semiprecious stone is defined as: "Any gemstones other than a precious stone, or any gemstone of lower commercial value than a precious stone; specifically, a mineral that is less than 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness. A gemstone may also be regarded as semiprecious because of its comparative abundance, inferior brilliance, or unfamiliarity to the public, or owing to the whims of fashion. This arbitrary classification is misleading, as it does not recognize, for example, that a ruby of poor quality may be far less costly than a fine specimen of jadeite."
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The Logan sapphire is named after Mrs. John Logan who donated the gemstone to
the Smithsonian Institution in 1960. The Logan sapphire is a flawless specimen,
possesses a rich blue color and is the second largest (blue) sapphire known,
weighing 423 carats (84.6 g). The cushion-cut stone is one of the world's most
famous sapphires and is set in a brooch surrounded by 20 round brilliant cut
diamonds weighing in total 16 carats (3.2 g). The Logan sapphire originates from
Sri Lanka, a famous location for sapphires.
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